Journey of a Wedding Gift

If a wedding gift could talk, ever wondered what it would say? Here’s the story of one such lamp that really needs to ‘lighten’ up!

The happy stained glass lamp in the gift shop

{Coughing}: God, I need to get out. It’s so dusty in this cupboard that even the Delhi air seems clean in comparison. And by the way, let me introduce myself. I’m a stained glass lamp, and in my better days, I used to stand proudly in the display of the city’s most beautiful vintage store. I was dusted, cleaned and proudly shown off to every customer who came in. But all that changed the day Mrs. Batra walked in…

She was buying a gift for her friend’s sister’s daughter’s wedding, and the only thing she was interested in was the price tag. After all, the Batra’s wanted to show off their generous heart… (And they had never met the bride, so had no clue what she would like).

I was excited. This meant that my days of putting on a show were about to get over. I was going to find my own home, where I would be loved and lit. But once the gift-wrap was on, things only went downhill! As they made their way to the wedding, I thought I would be carried in with pride. But when you’re competing with Mrs. Batra’s shimmering Swarovski sari, and Mr. Batra’s, ahem, very generous waistline, you never stand a chance.

Mrs. Batra with her “thoughtfully” chosen wedding gift

So I spent the car ride, and the next 2 hours, being jostled from one to the other, both grumbling about my size (I do have a big frame, but hello, I thought size didn’t matter!). I was accused of all sorts of things, from ruining the fine embellishment of Mrs. Batra’s sari, to coming in the way of her husband’s whiskey glass. Neither could wait to get rid of me, but the line to the couple was unbearably long.

Well, being the eternally bright one (I am a lamp after all!), I figured once I made it to the couple, I would be cared for. But the ordeal was nowhere close to ending! As I was finally handed me over to my new family (yeah right!), there was a tussle to just pile me off. I was ruining their picture, apparently. Now in the hands of their old-time help, I was carried to the “gifts table” and literally dumped!

Pile of gifts at a wedding

There was quite a squabble happening there, with the other gifts sharing their evening’s experience, quite similar to mine. I even made some good friends, who till date live with me in that dusty cupboard. But on that day, we just sat and waited. When all the guests had left, a grumpy father of the groom ordered the tired hotel staff to load us into the back of a vehicle (read stuffed and shoved) and off we went to our new home.

You would think the couple would be excited to open their gifts the very next day, right? Well, you’ve clearly never been married because the exhausted family couldn’t bear the thought of doing anything but relaxing. Our grand opening was pushed to post the honeymoon!

Heartbroken, we all waited. And then the day finally came. The couple was back and excited to open their gifts. Their excitement was contagious. I felt my heart racing. It felt like I was finally about to find my place in their home.

When the couple is not happy with their wedding gifts

But as the gifts opened, their and my excitement deflated. Most of us didn’t fit into their home at all. I was apparently too colorful for their ‘Zen’ aesthetic. If we’re being honest though… just one look around, and even I couldn’t imagine living here. I too deserved a home filled with happy, shiny things… something that would match my bright personality. In here, I would just shrivel! So what now? We are carefully wrapped up again and shoved into a ‘recycling cupboard’. My freedom depended on the next wedding they had to attend which required a ‘big budget’ wedding gift.

The glass lamp back to the recycling cupboard

And so here I am, still waiting a year later, for my turn to come. Some of my friends have left, some like me are still waiting. Sometimes I look back to that fateful wedding night, and actually miss being dressed up and out. But look where it got me. So, as much as I long to put on my party frock, this time, I’m going to put out until I’m sure it’s a home I’ll love and be loved in… Now that you know my story, do you also know a home like that? I’m waiting to be recycled.

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Tanvi Saraf

Tanvi Saraf is a writer, editor and traveller who's recently moved to the south. Having worked with the country's leading publications, including Marie Claire, India Today, Harper's Bazaar Bride and L'officiel, she now heads marketing for WeddingWishlist.com & CherryTin.com. Her life's philosophy and choices are guided by her motto, "Enjoy it. Because it's happening", and with our both our websites, she's all set to bring the joy back to gifting.

WeddingWishlist.com is a one-stop wedding planner for tech-savvy couples in India. The platform helps couples find solutions to all their wedding-planning needs, from wedding invitation cards and websites to gift registries and return gifts for guests. With a strong emphasis on technology, the company provides couples online solutions like digital cards, Guest App, bridal checklist and Registry, so they can plan their wedding on the go. In addition, the company also has a unique collection of wedding return gifts, from invitation gifts to mehendi, engagement, bridal shower and thank-you gifts. Our online vendor platform, The Good Bride, helps couples planning their wedding, search for service providers in their city and budget. Couples can look for photographers, decorators, caterers, choreographers, designers, makeup-artists and more. And to get inspired by wedding trends and ideas, our blog, Wedding Board, offers the latest news, designs and ideas for couples.